I'm waiting for parts for the second clutch pedal replacement on my Mazda3. A spring broke on the first pedal at the 60,000 km mark, turning it into an explosive projectile. This required replacement of the entire clutch pedal, which was otherwise fine. Now, less than 10,000 km after replacement, the clutch pedal is creaking badly, and my trusted independent garage says it requires replacement. Mazda has agreed to provide the part at no charge, and my mechanic is going after Mazda for reimbursement of labour costs.

My question is: How far should I be depressing the clutch pedal when shifting? I've always depressed it to the floor during decades of driving standard transmission cars, with no need to replace or repair any part of my transmissions. The "front desk" fellow at the garage (who seems to be very knowledgeable) has advised that by doing so, I am putting unnecessary stress on the clutch spring, and that I only need to depress the clutch part-way. With the old clutch still in the vehicle, I've been trying this. And yes, it does work well with no grinding of the gears or any change in the smoothness of my shifts. But, I'm wondering if by doing this to save the spring, I might cause other problems with the clutch itself down the road. Any thoughts?